A Facebook post alleging parts of the Charles S. Curtis Memorial Hospital was being changed into a long-term care (LTC) unit garnered a lot of interest online and a response from Labrador-Grenfell Health (LGH).

The post indicated that the area currently used for surgery and other forms of acute care would be turned into LTC and the obstetrics/gynecology section was going to become a general unit.

Heather Brown, CEO of LGH, said in a press release on Friday, Feb. 8 that these changes are not planned.

“There are no plans to close or convert acute care beds to long-term care beds,” she said. “There is no plan for men and women to share rooms on the Maternity Ward. While we continually strive to create efficiencies within our system, there are no layoffs planned at the hospital.”

Brown went on to say that in keeping with the provinces efforts to improve primary health care across the province, LGH has been working with the Department of Health and Community Services to identify opportunities to enhance primary health care in the region.

“Any significant change to how our facilities operate or provide services would be done through discussion and consultation with physicians, staff, and the public and in conjunction with the Department of Health and Community Services,” Brown said. “As part of our mandate, Labrador-Grenfell Health continually assesses how to best provide safe, quality care that meets the needs of our residents, particularly the aging population. We look forward to working with the community and our stakeholders to meet the health care needs of the population.”